THR Nearly Two Years after LTHR and now a popping/movement sensation

[Aileen]

Oh Suzie, the NHS Waiting List

When I finally plucked up courage, I waited 4 months to see the Surgeon. That was Feb 2011. That was when I found out how bad I had let it get. He wrote ASAP on my form and I handed it in at the desk. ASAP turned out to be October 2011. He said he would do the revision on the right hip 3 months later. All I got 3 months later was a check up on the first one. Also, for the first time ever I didn't get to see my surgeon but his registrar, who proceeded to roughly manhandle my repaired hip, declared it grand and said off you go. I said what about the other one ?

It was all there right in front of her with xray and notes, but she insisted in causing me pain just to prove no it wouldn't move. Oh well, she said, better put you down for this one too. Thing is I was already down for it courtesy of the surgeon, I think she was on a mission to get rid of patients! This was January 2012. By the end of June I hadn't heard a thing so rang the booking clerk, I was desperate by this time, think of a red hot knife constantly running down the front of your thigh to your knee. She was really kind and said she would send me an appointment for a pre op, apparently once you have passed that you have to be sent an operation date within 4 weeks. She was as good as her word, next day I had an appointment letter for a week later for pre op. Two days after pre op I had a letter for surgery date.

You have to be really insistant, first to get on the list for surgery and then to get a date. I swear if I hadn't rang that Booking lady, I would still be waiting !!

Aileen

 

[Bumpa]

And this is a paper on noise and ceramic hips.
The incidence of noise generation arising from the large-diameter Delta Motion ceramic total hip bearing

Abstract

Noise generation has been reported with ceramic-on-ceramic articulations in total hip replacement (THR). This study evaluated 208 consecutive Delta Motion THRs at a mean follow-up of 21 months (12 to 35). There were 141 women and 67 men with a mean age of 59 years (22 to 84). Patients were reviewed clinically and radiologically, and the incidence of noise was determined using a newly described assessment method. Noise production was examined against range of movement, ligamentous laxity, patient-reported outcome scores, activity level and orientation of the acetabular component. There were 143 silent hips (69%), 22 (11%) with noises other than squeaking, 17 (8%) with unreproducible squeaking and 26 (13%) with reproducible squeaking. Hips with reproducible squeaking had a greater mean range of movement (p < 0.001) and mean ligament laxity (p = 0.004), smaller median head size (p = 0.01) and decreased mean acetabular component inclination (p = 0.02) and anteversion angle (p = 0.02) compared with the other groups. There was no relationship between squeaking and age (p = 0.13), height (p = 0.263), weight (p = 0.333), body mass index (p = 0.643), gender (p = 0.07) or patient outcome score (p = 0.422). There were no revisions during follow-up. Despite the surprisingly high incidence of squeaking, all patients remain satisfied with their hip replacement.
Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:160–5.

 

[Suzieslips]

Thanks Aileen for your tips on how to actually get the treatment the surgeon has promised you.
It annoys me that the only way many of us can get things done is to be persistent. I can be pretty assertive when required, but it really shouldn't be necessary!

I am still waiting for my appointment letter, so I'm guessing that 8 weeks may actually be the time until I receive the letter - not amused now as the movement is worse and quite scary at times and if I don't hear anything within the next 2 weeks I will be on the telephone to someone.

Bumpa, thanks.
I have read that article before and at first I thought it applied to me, but now, with the constant movement in my hip, I'm not so sure.
If it was only noise, then, despite embarrassment at times, I would put up with it, but this is unusual movement which two physiotherapists felt and said "stop doing that exercise!" when they felt it.

I do think that there will be much more to come on problems with ceramic hips - not because they are in themselves necessarily problematic, but simply because in the hip replacement World, they are relatively new, so new data is waiting to be discovered.

In my case, I think it was the case of falling down the stairs rather than anything untoward with the hip replacement itself. But we'll see..... eventually.....

 

[Poppet]

Hi Suzie

Do you have ceramic on ceramic or ceramic on polyethylene ?

So sorry, it is feeling worse... I am sending a hurry up via the universe from down under so that we can get that appointment earlier for you..

Yes, I agree, if it one thing that I have learnt with my Pre and post THR experience is that I have to be my own strong advocate. I have to understand all my test results and question, question, question.. sad really, long gone are the Doctors who treat us holistically they see to treat one symptom at a time. That is why I love my Natural Medicine, I was trained to observe and treat the patient not just the symptom.

Good luck sweetie, we are here for you

 

[Suzieslips]

Hi Suzie

Do you have ceramic on ceramic or ceramic on polyethylene ?

Ceramic on ceramic.
..... at least for now!
I agree that it is sad that it is up to us to be our own best advocates.
I'm not denying that we need to be aware and assertive - we do.
But when we are going through pain and uncertainty it can be very tiring, and the last thing we want to do is trawl through notes on THR's and go into our appointments prepared to have to argue our case.
What we want is someone to listen to us and consider our fears without us having to be pushy, but sadly that doesn't often occur nowadays.

 

[special lady]

Suzie,

Just logged on this evening and catching up reading some of the threads, how are you doing? Are you set for an appointment yet?

 

[Suzieslips]

Suzie,

Just logged on this evening and catching up reading some of the threads, how are you doing? Are you set for an appointment yet?

Thanks for asking Special Lady
I finally have an appointment to see a consultant.....the first week in May!
This is going to be just a 'routine check that all is okay' type appointment, which means that if (when!) he finds something wrong, I will then get further appointments to start on the long road to getting something done about it.
So, basically, the reports from my doctor and the two physiotherapists are being ignored and I am relying on the consultant to see what they have already seen.
Slow....very slow.....
My hip itself is about the same (knock on wood!). Some days it aches quite a lot; others not much.
Still clicking and clunking at every step....although I had a slight accident a couple of weeks ago where I banged my left toe on a high piece of pavement. Pain shot through the hip and it ached a lot for the rest of the day....and then I noticed that the clicking and clunking wasn't so frequent for the next few days.
It was like I had kicked the cup back into place!
But now it is back to the usual clicking/clunking, so if I did do that, it has worked loose again anyway.
Strange though....

 

[Poppet]

Hi Suzie... How frustrating.. I am going to wish that the next month flies by for you and you get answers early May.. You have been so patient..

 

[special lady]

Suzie so sorry that you have to wait and wait some more. Hoping you get some answers very soon. Strange about your accident with your toe and the clunking and popping stopped for a couple days. If you were limping maybe just the change in your gait may have taken some of the stress of your joint... just a thought... nonetheless, really hoping you the consult gets you to the right Doc to figure things out for you!

Happy Easter!